Chalk-holder



J. W. DARRAS. CHALK HOLDER. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 15. 1919.

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JAMES W. DARRAS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CHALK-HOLDER.

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Application filed August 15, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Jules W. DAnRAs, a

citizen of the United States, and resident' of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Chalk- Holders; and I do hereby declare that the following description of my invention, taken in connection with the accompanying sheet of drawings, forms a full, clear, and exact specification, which will enable others skilled in the art to which the said invention appertains to make and use the same.

This invention has general reference to improvements in chalk holders for chalking the tips of billiard cues; and it consists, essentially, in the novel and peculiar combination of parts, and details of construction, as hereinafter first fully set forth and described, and then pointed out in the claims.

It is a well-known fact that in billiard parlors, and other places where the game of billiards is played, as well as in private institutions and private residences, losses are incurred by the lumps of chalk used for chalking the tips of billiard ones being only partly used up, or being bodily carried away, dropped on the floor and crushed by stepping thereon, and so forth, the. losses, though small in individual cases being nevertheless considerable in billiard parlors where a large number of billiard tables are in use. It is the object of my invention to avoid these losses as far as possible by con fining the lumps of Chalk in a peculiarly constructed holder, and to use the chalklumps more effectively than hits heretofore been practised, by the method hereinafter described.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved chalk holder ready for use. 2 is a similar view of the same as seen when turned through an angle of 90 degrees. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3--3 of Fig. 1. Fig. i is an inverted plan of the device illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. Figs. 5 and 6 are perspective views of the commercial lumps of chalk now in the market. Fig. 7 is an elevation of a chalk holder suitable for retaining polygonal lumps of chalk such as illustrated in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation of the same on line 88 of Fig. 9; and Fig. 9 is an inverted plan of the same. Figs. 10 to 13 inclusive are sectional views Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar.'2,'1e2o.

Serial No. 317,750.

of a lump of chalk showing the various conditions of the same after having been in use for a period of time.

Like parts are designated by the same characters and symbols of reference in all the various figures.

The commercial lumps of chalk now in general use are either round cylinders, or cubical in form, and they have in one or both of their ends shallow depressions which serve as a starting point when the chalk is being rubbed onto the cue-tip or the cue-tip rotated on the chalk to chalk the cue-tip. This depression gradnallyincreases in diameter and depth as the chalk is being used until the point of the cue-tip penetrates the chalk when it is discarded. Experienced billiard players are always trying to obtain a new piece of chalk when beginning to play, for the reason that with a shallow depression in the chalk they are better able to give the cue-tip a proper chalking than can be done with a deeper depression. In chalking the cue-tip, the depression in the chalk is worked toward the outer periphery of the lump so that the depression remains rather flat and thereby the margin becomes quite thin or narrow, but notwithstanding this fact, the depression deepens gradually. This condition of the chalk-body is clearly illustrated in Fig. 10. In order to preserve the desirable contour of the depression as far as possible, I take the lump of chalk before the depression reaches the middle of the chalk. as at 23, in Fig. 11, and trim the marginal edge of the lump down until'there is but a shallow depression left in the lump, which again puts the lump in proper condition, and I do this trin ming as frequently as desirable to keep the lump in the best condition. The holder of the chalk is so constructed that it is capable of holding a lump after it has been frequently trimmed until it is entirely worn out, as will hereinafter fully appear.

A, in the drawings designates a metallic shell, which is either circular in transverse contour, as illustrated in Figs. 1 to i inclusive, or polygonal, as shown in Figs. 7, 8, and 9, at A One margin of this shell has extending therefrom, and at diametrically opposite points, two bars 12, 1%, the terminals of which are inwardly bent, as at 18, to afford shoulders or oft-sets upon which the lumps of chalk may rest. The shell A is at the margin opposite of that from which the bars 12 extend, externally screw-threaded to receive an internally screw-threaded cap 13, to close this end of the shell. This cap has in its center a screw-threaded aperture 14, which engages a thumb-screw C, which screw has at its outer end a preferably flattened head 15, in which there is an opening 16, to which a cord 17 may be attached by which the holder may be suspended from any suitable object to be within easy reach of the billiard players. To the lower, inner end of this screw C there is secured a disk 18, which is preferably swiveled to the screw in any desired manner to prevent rotation of the said disk when applied to the chalk.

lVhen the shell is polygonal in contour, as illustrated in Figs. 7, 8, and 9, at A, I form on the proper margin of the shell an annular flange 19, Fig. 9, and screw-thread the periphery of this flange to receive the cap B in the same manner as the cap B engages the cylindrical shell A.

In this holder there is securely held the lumps or blocks of chalk D, which are either cylindrical bodies as shown in Fig. 5, or polygonal bodies as illustrated at I) in Fig. 6; and when these blocks are placed into the shell by removing the cap therefrom, they will bear upon the shoulders 13 on the projecting bars 12, 12 and are thus prevented from dropping out of the holder and are securely held in the shell after the cap 13 has been replaced and the screw 0 rotated to force the disk 18 upon the block D. In use, a one is pressed upon the chalk with its tip and then rotated thereon, or the chalk is pushed onto the tip to chalk the tip in the well-known manner. The tip-point is of approximately semi-globular form, and by removin some of the chalk every time it is applied, gradually wears a conical depression 20, into the same, which depression, when the curved portion thereof reaches a certain depth, and especially when it reaches the lower surface 22 of the block, renders this chalk-body unfit for further use. To preserve the proper workable condition of the chalk as long as possible, I frequently trim the marginal edge 28, of the lump down until only a shallow depression 21 is left therein, as illustrated at 25 in Figs. 11 and 12, and use the lump until the depression 21 reaches the bottom 22 of the lump, as indicated in dotted lines at 25 in Fig. 12, and in solid black in Fig. 13. But I may also place a partly worn and trimmed block 24 on the back of a partly used block 25, as shown in Figs. 8 and 11, to nearly fill the holder and to support the portion 25 in the holder, if such be desirable.

The holder is made of metal, such as steel, or brass, and therefore lends itself admirably to ornamentation by galvano-plating with the more precious metals or otherwise, so that the article may be decorative as well as useful in its nature.

lVhile I have hereinbefore described this invention with considerable minuteness, I desire it to be understood that I am aware that changes in the details of construction may be made, and parts omitted without de-=, parting from the scope of this invention as defined in the subjoined claims.

Having thus fully described this invention, I claim as new, and desire to secure to myself by Letters Patent of the United States 1. A chalk holder for chalking the tips of billiard cues, comprising, in combination, a metallic shell, said shell being of less depth than a commercial piece of chalk, said shell being externally screw-threaded at one of its ends, there being projecting from the other end of said shell two oppositely-located bars, the terminals of said bars being inwardly turned to afiord shoulders, a cap in screwthreaded engagement with said shell, said cap having centrally a screw-threaded aperture, an adjusting screw in operative engagement with said screw-threaded aperture, said adjusting screw having at its end within said shell a disk, and at its outer end a head by which said screw can be rotated.

2. A chalk holder for chalking the 'tips of billiard cues, comprising, in combination, a metallic, cylindrical shell, said shell being externally screw-threaded at one of its ends, there being projection from the other end of said shell and at diametrically opposite points two bars formed integrally with said shell, the terminals of said bars being inwardly turned to afford shoulders, a cap in screw-threaded engagement with said shell, said cap having in its bottom an internally screw-threaded aperture, an adjusting screw in operative engagement with said aperture, said adjusting; screw having at its end with in said shell a disk, said disk being rotatively connected to said screw, said screw having at its outer end a head, said head being flattened, there being in said flattened portion an opening adapted to receive means by which the holder may be suspended from any suitable object.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have hereunto set my hand.

JAMES w. DARRAS. 

